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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

Episiotomy stitches advice

32 replies

user1494270143 · 01/01/2018 19:04

I had my son last week after being induced to high blood pressure, they broke my waters and put me on the drip to speed labour up. Baby came very quickly and I ended up needing an episiotomy as his heartbeat was dropping, I’d heard about them but never looked into it any futher. (Silly I know as he is my first baby!)

Anyways, they didn’t have time to properly numb me so I felt every single thing, including stitching me up after birth.

I’ve been really struggling with the pain, to do anything literally kills me and I’m so worried about them bursting open or becoming infected 😩 it really stings when I wee to the point I’m nearly crying every time I need to go, I’ve tried warm water whilst weeing but it doesn’t seem to help. I’ve been having two baths a day and have been prescribed some stronger painkillers from GP and am also taking paracetamol.

Does anyone swear by anything to help them heal? I just can’t wait to feel “normal” (if that’s even possible) and enjoy my beautiful newborn!!! X

OP posts:
churchilllounge · 01/01/2018 19:06

I think I took arnica, constant painkillers and I showered every time I needed a wee. (My pelvic floors were rubbish so had about 20 showers s day).

The pain was excruciating so I really feel for you.

PalomaViolets · 01/01/2018 19:18

A warm shallow bath with a mixture of milk, tea tree and lavender oil helped a bit with my recovery from an episiotomy.

Original poster
user1494270143 · 01/01/2018 19:18

@churchilllounge thank you for the reply. It’s horrendous I never expected it! How long did yours take to stop burning when you weed can I ask?

OP posts:
CocoLoco87 · 01/01/2018 19:22

Menuca honey works wonders! Also oral morphine Grin I was in a bit of a state for 2 weeks but the pain literally went overnight, so it really won't always be this bad. But I do feel for you. I had a 3rd degree tear with DC1 and it's not fun.

jollyjester · 01/01/2018 19:22

Warm bath with a few drops of tea tree oil.

Its agony but will heal soon. Just take it easy. Change your pads frequently and I second arnica tablets

Schlimbesserung · 01/01/2018 19:23

I had 28 stitches following a nasty tear with my first birth and the pain was horrible(I had no painkillers for the stitches either, but that's a whole other story!). I had to wee in the bath, then have a shower or it was agony. Tea tree oil in the bath water helped but was a bit stingy at first. It was about 3 weeks I think before it felt much better, but if you are worried ask your midwife.

Smurfy23 · 01/01/2018 19:24

Try and air them a couple of times a day too to help them heal. Plenty of paracetamol and ibuprofen. Get midwife etc to check as much as you can to spot any signs of infection. It really is horrendous but it does get better

AndWhat · 01/01/2018 19:24

Diluted witch hazel on a pad, ooo the relief especially if its cold!!!
Can be bought in boots!

yumyumpoppycat · 01/01/2018 19:26

Wee in the shower whenever practical then pat dry gently with a clean facecloth, if you can be bothered air dry for a while after that lying on a towel knees in air (maybe not every time say once or twice a day). Don't soak in the bath for extended amounts of time as this can cause the stitches to dissolve. I was complemented by midwife on how well I was keeping things clean and dry area after dc3 {preens} Wink

1sttimeunicorn · 01/01/2018 19:27

Oh so sorry to hear you’re in so much pain. Congrats on the baby!
I had the same with my DS 8 months ago. The pain was unbelievable... but there was a reason - I had an infection.
I highly recommend that you get the wound checked by a Midwife or doctor if you can just to make sure it’s not infected. If it feels hot to the touch, it may be infected.
After anti biotics I felt better and was pain free within a day. That was when my son was ten days old.
It took til he was 8 weeks old for it to feel normal ish again.
Like others who have replied I also recommend peeing in water. Showers are recommended rather than baths as they wash any potential nasties away.
Good luck and congrats.

Didiusfalco · 01/01/2018 19:33

No warm bath, they soften the stitches and stop them healing - consultant told me this as I ended up in a right mess. Shower and keep as dry as possible, no lotions or potions. If stinging that badly possibly you already have infection? I would go to the doctor and get checked.

GruffaloPants · 01/01/2018 19:34

Pour warm water on when you we that will help a bit. It took me 5 days for the worst stinging to stop but longer to fully recover.

GruffaloPants · 01/01/2018 19:37

Oh and try to get the air around to keep things dry and fresh

MadgeMak · 01/01/2018 19:38

Make sure you drink lots of water so that your wee is as diluted as possible. I used to take a squeezy bottle of cold water into the toilet with me too, and squirt it over my bits as I weed. Short shallow baths with tea tree oil to help speed up the healing process.

churchilllounge · 01/01/2018 19:39

As long as I kept water on it till I had finished I think it was only a couple of seconds. But I found the pain pretty consistent.

Baby Number 2 I had a small tear and it was a different world!

MadgeMak · 01/01/2018 19:40

And make sure you dry yourself thoroughly after washing, I used a hairdryer on the lowest setting to make sure I was completely dry.

DryHeave · 01/01/2018 19:44

Leaning forward when weeing helped me. I was also told not to have any baths: showers only, no soap, no oils etc, water only and dab dry with kitchen towel and air dry once per day if possible. I was desperate for a bath but told absolutely not to.

I kept dosed up on paracetamol/ibuprofen. Also drank tons of water and changed pad every single time I went to the loo - washing hands before & after.

Sadly, despite comments about how clean I was keeping the wound it still became infected and my episiotomy broke down, meaning a longer recover. If you are still under midwife care, ask them to swab it.

FetchezLaPhoque · 01/01/2018 19:45

Like others have said rinse with shower regularly and get plenty of air to the wound. My stitches after my first got infected and opened on day 4. I saw a consultant who said not to bath but to rinse and air regularly which is sadly not the wound care advice the midwives give Hmm Mine were really painful prior to opening so maybe get the wound checked. I hope it improves for you soon Flowers

confusedhelpme · 01/01/2018 19:55

Breast Milk on a sanitary towel! Amazing

Mishappening · 01/01/2018 19:55

God - it's misery isn't it? - I remember it well. After first baby I had a big episiotomy for forceps and one of the stitches was in a pile - pooing was a nightmare!

One of my DD had trouble too and on both occasions she finished up on anti-biotics - I wasn't entirely sure that it was wholly necessary TBH, but I think the GP was playing safe.

All I can say to you is....this too will pass. I remember that at the time I could not imagine that it would stop - but really truly it does. Do you have a rubber ring to sit on?

Congrats on the baby - I am sorry that this is spoiling things for you at the moment.

shhhfastasleep · 01/01/2018 20:01

Please don't think it's normal to hurt for such a long time.
Mine was done so badly and I suffered in silence for a year until they accepted it needed opening up and redoing under General Anaesthetic.
Every time I went to the loo was a hellish reminder and I was too ashamed to speak up about what I saw as my weakness.

Purplelynny17 · 02/01/2018 04:54

My Episiotomy was incredibly painful too. My Midwife advised bating with a few drops of tea tree oil and lavender oil.
I don't do baths and certainly couldnt find time for them with a newborn so I would regularly fill the sink with warm water, add a couple of drops of the oils and use a sponge to bathe my bits whilst I sat on the loo.
I couldn't believe how much it helped after 2 full weeks of agony.
(My baby is now 4 months and that time has gone in the blink of an eye- congratulations and enjoy every minute!!!)

Isitwinteryet · 03/01/2018 01:15

Although it sounds like backwards advice, the best thing I did was drink as much water as you can. It make weeing hurt much much less!

sycamore54321 · 03/01/2018 01:39

Has anyone checked it for infection recently? I would be surprised at it still being agonising this far along. Can you get a check-up to rule out any problems?

Also ask your doctor about yet latest in wound care advice. It's an area that changes quite quickly. I was advised a year ago to rinse with lukewarm water after every bathroom use, pat dry, expose to the air as much as possible, not to use plastic-backed maternity pads (the big green ones allow more air and avoid sweatiness). Also avoid baths, shower at least once daily with plain warm water only. I was advised to avoid any products other than water - no soap, no witch hazel or tea tree oil, etc. But please do get it re-examined and keep insisting on being provided with adequate effective pain relief.

It seems inexcusable to me that they did not offer local anaesthetic for stitching you afterwards. I can understand in certain circumstances an urgent episiotomy might be needed without time for a numbing injection, but it seems unthinkable that they would perform stitches without proper anaesthetic. I would be asking a lot of questions about that if I were you.

Please don't continue in such bad pain. Insist on a medical check, insist on proper pain relief and make sure you take it as prescribed.

Best wishes.

Nomad86 · 03/01/2018 13:32

Pour warm water between your legs when you were. Also pour warm water there while sitting on the poo a couple of times a day to keep them clean (then lean forward and pour down the back). Sit on a cushion and lean back slightly on the sofa. The pain will ease and you can take paracetamol even if your breastfeeding. The midwife will check your stitches to make sure they're healing but she won't touch them so don't worry about that. Try and change your pad regularly so it doesn't irritate.

My episiotomy was without anaesthetic so I know exactly where you're coming from. Be sure to ask your midwife if there's anything else you can take for the pain.

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